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While GPS will always be an integral and irreplaceable part of positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) technology,  assured PNT must take a layered approach for true resiliency.

A GPS World webinar sponsored by Spirent Federal Systems will explore this topic. Registration is now open for the free webinar, which will be held June 24.

Join experts from Spirent and Northrop Grumman as they examine

• the future of inertial navigation in assured PNT and GPS augmentation
• EGI-Modernization
• coherent GNSS and inertial sensor emulation
• exploring and simulating emerging alternative space-based PNT RF signals.

Expert presentations will be followed by a question-and-answer session; questions will be accepted both before and during the webinar.

To register for the webinar, visit this link. Registration is free.

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Content Marketing Webinar

GPS Vulnerability Mitigation: Using Inertial & Alternative RF PNT

Date: Thursday, June 24, 2021
Time: 1 p.m. EDT / 10 a.m. PDT / 7 p.m. (1900h) Central European Time
Duration: 60 minutes + extra time for Q&A
Sponsored content by: Spirent Federal

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Speakers

Jennifer Smith
Director, Business Development
Spirent Federal Systems

Jennifer Smith joined Spirent Federal in 2004. Jen has responsibilities in business development as well as in general operations. She has experience in project management and contract negotiations.

Smith has a B.A. and a J.D. and is a member of the Utah Bar Association.

Naveen Joshi
Director, BD & Strategy, Navigation & Cockpit Systems
Northrop Grumman Mission Systems

Naveen Joshi leads the Strategy and Business Development for Northrop Grumman’s Navigation and Integrated Cockpit business. He sets product strategy, shapes technology roadmaps, and advises Northrop Grumman leaders on the application of PNT technologies. His previous roles at Northrop include program director, program manager, engineering manager and various roles in engineering.

Outside of Northrop Grumman, Joshi held roles in management consulting and eCommerce, and ran an entrepreneurial venture.

Joshi earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Cornell University and an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.

Mark Holbrow
Senior Director, Engineering & Product Development
Spirent Communications

Mark Holbrow’s 30-year professional career has concentrated on the innovative design, development, and successful commercialization of electronic test equipment.

In his current role, he is responsible for the technical team management, new product design, and future direction of Spirent’s portfolio of world-leading positioning, navigation, and time (PNT) test solutions.

Holbrow has a passion for the sometimes overlooked discipline of “test methodology” and thoroughly enjoys the technical and business development demands required to identify, and innovatively solve, complex test challenges.

Roger Hart
Director, Engineering
Spirent Federal Systems

Roger Hart joined Spirent Federal in 2015. Roger has responsibilities in engineering development and support, sales and customer training. He has worked in development of spacecraft navigation systems, including GPS, for civil, NASA and defense applications since 1986.

Hart has a Bachelor of Arts in physics and Master of Science in mechanical engineering (space track) from Utah State University.

Geoflex, a geolocation company, won the Jury Award of SPRING 50, a competition of deep tech startups that took place on May 20 in Paris-Saclay, the largest French research cluster, located south of Paris.

Geoflex is a cloud service operator that enhances GPS/GNSS-based applications to provide 4-centimeter positioning on land, at sea and in the air.

Geoflex was initially selected among the 10 most promising companies within the 50 startups promoted at the event. All 10 startups founders were subsequently showcasing their companies in a 4 minutes pitch, and Geoflex’s CEO Romain Legros won this last leg of the competition.

Geoflex’s hyper-geolocation service has been available globally since 2018. The service, which corrects inherent GNSS inaccuracies, is provided in real time or in post processing. It works across all types of GNSS hardware receivers and includes correction data for all constellations: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou and for all their frequencies.

The technology was initially developed by the French space agency CNES in a 12-year research project. It is protected by seven patents licensed to Geoflex, which continues co-development of the technology with the CNES.

Geoflex also has developed a positioning engine that includes sensor fusion with other technologies such as inertial, optical and communications. A hardware development kit is available.

A roundup of recent products in the GNSS and inertial positioning industry from the June 2021 issue of GPS World magazine.

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OEM

Grandmaster Clock

Multi-constellation receiver

The upgraded TimeProvider 4100 2.2 is now more redundant and resilient. It provides secure, precise timing and synchronization for critical infrastructure such as 5G wireless networks, smart grids, data centers, cable and transportation services. The 4100 2.2 introduces a software-redundancy architecture for flexible deployment, and supports a new GNSS multi-band, multi-constellation receiver to protect against time delay from space weather, solar events and other disruptions. The 4100 2.2 offers options for software and hardware support.

Microchip Technology, microchip.com

External Antennas

GNSS-ready multi-port models

The NETZ 5-in-1 multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) solution combines two LTE antennas and two Wi-Fi antennas with a GNSS antenna for high data throughput and streaming, video, industrial and internet of things (IoT) applications. It offers a low-profile design with integrated SubMiniature version A (SMA) connectors and is designed with rugged PC+ABS plastic black housing for demanding environmental challenges.

Maxtena, maxtena.com

Mini-PCLe Adapter

For industrial applications

The GW16143 is a high-precision GNSS/GPS Mini-PCLe adapter card that provides precise positioning to applications using Gateworks single-board computers. Based on the U-blox ZED-F9P, the GW16143’s multi-band real-time kinematic (RTK) technology enhances convergence times and performance. The module receives GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou; supports L1 and L2/L5 bands; and provides GNSS positioning accuracy
of <2 cm.

Gateworks, gateworks.com

Inertial unit

Tactical grade for higher order integrated applications

The IMU-NAV-100 is a fully integrated inertial solution that measures linear accelerations, angular rates, and pitch and roll with high accuracy utilizing three-axis high-grade micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers and three-axis tactical-grade MEMS gyroscopes. It features continuous built-in test, configurable communications protocols, electromagnetic interference protection, and flexible input power requirements that allow it to be easily integrated in a variety of higher order systems. The IMU-NAV-100-S offers high performance stabilization for line-of-sight systems, motion-control sensors, and platform orientation and stabilization systems. The IMU-NAV-100-A is for GPS-aided INS, AHRS and motion reference units.

Inertial Labs, inertiallabs.com

Mass Market Board

Single-board computer with up to three receivers

The SimpleRTK2B single-board computer is built around up to three u-blox ZED-F9P high-precision GNSS receivers to simplify development of centimeter-level positioning solutions supporting real-time kinematics (RTK). It was developed to make RTK technology as close to plug-and-play as possible, and make the technology accessible to broader audiences. In addition to working as a stand-alone solution, customers can program their own applications with the company’s microPython API. The SimpleRTK2B-SBC delivers mechanical integration with centimeter position on three axes (heading, pitch, roll), outputting on NMEA, RTCM, RS232 and CANBus interfaces via Ethernet, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 2G/3G/4G communication.

Ardusimple, ardusimple.com

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SURVEYING & MAPPING

Utility locator

Software with GNSS receiver enables mapping

PointMan software is now integrated into the Vivax Metrotech vLoc3 with a GNSS real-time kinematic (RTK) receiver to create a utility-locate device. Using the RTK-Pro internal cellular module with 4G LTE capabilities, the operator can connect to the NTRIP RTK caster that provides RTCM 3 corrections. With the integration of PointMan with the vLoc3 RTK-Pro, critical buried infrastructure can be captured, recorded and displayed at survey-grade without additional external equipment or post-processing. The integration provides centimeter accuracy of the precise location of buried utilities in real time. Data collected includes the type of utility, the depth of cover and the utility’s precise location.

ProStar Holdings, prostarcorp.com

GIS platform

Geospatial and location intelligence for smart cities

M.App Enterprise 2021 is a significant update to the platform for creating geospatial and location intelligence applications. The latest release features new browser-based 3D capabilities and enhanced visual effects, plus the ability to create and configure custom applications more easily. It allows users to access LuciadRIA’s 3D features with support for panoramic imagery, shading, ambient occlusion and other visualization effects to build browser-based solutions. It also features a new browser app configurator that makes it easier to create spatio-temporal dashboards, or Smart M.Apps. Feature Analyzer now allows users to add and manage multiple datasets on the fly and set up workflows.

Hexagon Geospatial, hexagongeospatial.com

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TRANSPORTATION

Nearshore receiver

Measures positioning, heading, attitude, velocity and heave

The MarinePak7 marine-certified GNSS receiver is designed for nearshore applications. The multi-constellation, multi-frequency receiver was engineered to receive the Oceanix Correction Service from NovAtel, providing horizontal accuracy up to 3 cm (95%) in a marine environment. With SPAN GNSS+INS technology capabilities, the MarinePak7 couples GNSS and inertial measurement units (IMUs) for 3D positioning.

Hexagon | NovAtel, NovAtel.com

Expansion Card

For lane-level positioning

The ANNA-F9 high-precision GNSS Mini-PCIe card can achieve centimeter-level accuracy. It integrates the U-blox ZED-F9 receiver platform, providing multi-band GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS and SBAS) and RTK positioning, and can be integrated with embedded systems. It provides high-accuracy positioning for applications including lane-level navigation and railway transportation. The ANNA-F9 series supports RTCM formatted corrections and centimeter-level positioning from local base stations or virtual reference stations in a network RTK setup.

Antzertech, antzer-tech.com

Marine Antennas

Two added to VeroStar line

Marine vessels often host both Iridium (1616–1626.5 MHz) and Inmarsat (uplink: 1626.5–1660.5 MHz) satellite communication antennas that transmit and receive signals. The VSP6037L-MAR and VSP6337L-MAR VeroStar marine antennas strongly attenuate interference from both signal sources, providing 75 dB to 85 dB of attenuation over Iridium and 85 dB to 95 dB over Inmarsat uplink, enabling clean GNSS signal reception and precise positioning. The VSP6037L-MAR supports the full GNSS spectrum; the VSP6337L-MAR supports GPS/QZSS-L1/L2/L5, GLONASS-G1/G2/G3, Galileo-E1/E5a/E5b, BeiDou-B1/B2/B2a, and NavIC-L5 signals. Both antennas support L-band correction signals. Every VeroStar antenna features a robust pre-filter and a high-IP3 LNA architecture, minimizing desensing from high-level out-of-band signals, including 700 MHz LTE, while still providing a noise figure of 1.8 dB. They meet IEC 60945 and IEC 61108 marine certifications for challenging marine environments.

Tallysman Wireless, tallysman.com

Cargo Service

For tracking high-value assets

The managed internet of things (IoT) Acculink Cargo can track the location and condition of high-value and sensitive assets, providing real-time visibility, product-level tracking and exception-based monitoring as goods move through their supply chains. Tracking can be used to avoid delays, minimize dwell time, prevent theft and remediate environmental conditions that can cause asset damage.

Sierra Wireless, sierrawireless.com

Tracking Antenna

Rugged external mount

The GNS1559MPF or Mini GNSS is a rugged, high-performance and cost-effective solution for most GNSS or asset-tracking applications. The small form factor makes it easy to install on or in vehicles or buildings. It is IP67 rated to withstand impact as well as water and dust intrusion in demanding environments and operating conditions. The antenna can be configured with different cable types in varying lengths and with various connector types. Uses include public safety, in-building, fleet management, asset tracking, vehicle and personnel tracking.

Laird Connectivity, lairdconnect.com

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UAV

Long-Flight UAS

Unmanned system for long-distance flights

The Zala 421-16E5G long-flight UAS is a domestic unmanned aerial system with a hybrid power plant. The non-aerodrome-based system is capable of providing aerial monitoring covering distances of more than 150 kilometers and staying in the air for more than 12 hours. Its power plant charges a buffer battery for an hour, allowing the UAV to fly long distances. It is equipped with two thermal imagers and a 60x video camera. Alternatively, it can carry a payload of up to 10 kg.

Zala Aero Group, zala-aero.com/en/

Inertial navigation system

Ready for drone surveys

The xNAV650 inertial navigation system (INS) provides surveyors with absolute position, timing and inertial measurements (heading and pitch/roll) that they can integrate into their projects. When combined with data from other devices (such as lidar sensors and cameras), the INS measurements can greatly enhance the surveying process. The xNAV650 has the latest micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) inertial measurement unit (IMU) technology and survey-grade GNSS receivers. At 77 x 63 x 24 mm and 130 grams, it is suitable for a wide range of UAV data-collection applications: surveys of bridges, buildings, forests and rail; coastal monitoring; map creation; and pipeline exploration. Data collected can be fused with data from almost any lidar sensor. OxTS NAVsuite software is included with all OxTS INS. Other optional software is available, including precision time protocol and GX/IX tight-coupling technology.

Oxford Technical Solutions, oxts.com

Lidar System

With GNSS receiver and IMU

The AlphaAir 450 (AA450) lidar system is a lightweight, compact all-in-one sensor. Featuring an inertial measurement unit (IMU), GNSS receiver and 3D scanner and camera, the AlphaAir 450 is suitable for power-line inspections, topographic mapping, emergency response, agricultural work and forestry surveys. The unit can be rapidly deployed in the field to collect geospatial data. It achieves absolute accuracy of 5 cm (vertical) and 10 cm (horizontal) for small survey areas. Adjustment algorithms applied in CHCNAV CoPre software further improve precision and accuracy. The AA450 weighs 1 kilogram for easy mounting on a UAV. It is IP64 rated against dust and water spray and operates at –20° C to +50° C.

CHC Navigation, chcnav.com

Imaging systems

Survey-grade with lidar

The True View 635/640 3DIS is GeoCue’s second-generation lidar/camera-fusion platform designed to generate high-accuracy 3D colorized lidar point clouds using the Riegl miniVUX-3UAV. All 3DIS platforms include GeoCue’s data-processing software suite True View EVO, which integrates with the Applanix POSPac. With its 120° fused field of view, the True View 635/640 provides 3D mapping with excellent vegetation penetration and wire detection in a payload package of 3.2–3.6 kg. True View EVO supports the direct creation of ground classified point clouds, surface models, contours, digital elevation models, volumetric analysis, wire extraction and similar products, without the need for additional third-party software.

GeoCue Group, geocue.com

“Seen & Heard” is a monthly feature of GPS World magazine, traveling the world to capture interesting and unusual news stories involving the GNSS/PNT industry.

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Network Tool Helps Find Children

Microsoft and Esri Canada have developed the Child Search Network to enhance Canada’s national strategy for missing children. The network provides police services with a quick way to share information and collaborate with others, as well as with the general public, to find missing children faster and reunite them with their families. Police can put out information on a missing child via a website and smart-phone app. Members of the public can then offer tips by downloading the MCSC rescue app to register to receive alerts and share any information they may have regarding a missing child or youth. The tool helps meet the “gap of response” for high-risk cases of missing children that do not meet the strict criteria for the AMBER Alert.

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S’more Delivery Options

Grocery chain Kroger and Drone Express have launched a pilot delivery program in Centerville, Ohio, filling orders in as quickly as 15 minutes. Orders are sent to the customer’s smartphone location, which could include sending picnic supplies to a park or sunscreen to a beach. As part of the project, Kroger is selling bundled products within the payload weight — about five pounds, such as a S’mores bundle with graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate.

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Multiple UAVs Shorten Penguin Survey

One of the largest Adélie penguin colonies in the world was surveyed with multiple UAVs in March. Survey time was reduced from three days (with a single drone manually piloted) to under three hours. The work was led by a team of experts from Stanford University, Point Blue Conservation Science and Conservation Metrics. UgCS software by SPH Engineering was used to develop a system to autonomously survey the penguins. Thousands of high-resolution images were taken on each survey. An artificial intelligence model by Conservation Metrics is under development that will automatically identify and count adult penguins and their chicks. Using UgCS with a Stanford-provided planning algorithm, the survey team efficiently photographed more than 300,000 breeding pairs at Cape Crozier, Antarctica. The surveys will contribute to large-scale assessments of penguin populations and breeding success, key metrics for monitoring the health of the Antarctic marine ecosystem.

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Seeing Sinkholes with Satellites

Synspective Inc. is offering a sinkhole-detection prediction tool using satellite imagery analysis. Part of the company’s Land Displacement Monitoring service, an algorithm uses data science and machine learning to detect spatial and temporal variations. It can identify areas where sinkholes are likely to occur, areas where cave-ins have occurred, and areas where cave-ins are in progress. The input data is automatically updated, and the platform handles the processing and analysis of the complex satellite imagery.

Of the hundreds of papers researchers presented at the Institute of Navigation’s annual ION GNSS+ conference, which took place virtually Sept. 21–25, the following four focused on autonomous vehicle positioning for automobiles on city streets. The papers are available at www.ion.org/publications/browse.cfm.

Digital Maps with Tethered Positioning

The authors propose a new method for tight integration of digital map and dead-reckoning (DR) system (inertial measurement unit plus wheel odometer) to provide reliable navigation solutions in challenging GNSS environments for extended periods. Integrated DR and GNSS have been widely used as the backbone of any navigation system for the internet of things (IoT) and vehicle navigation applications. Dollar-level micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) inertial measurement units (IMUs) aided by vehicle-wheel odometers have been recently used as low-cost DR systems to bridge GNSS gaps in harsh environments, such as urban canyons, tunnels and under bridges.

However, DR drift errors rapidly increase over time and cannot satisfy most IoT and land-vehicle navigation requirements. Plus, the GNSS receiver may fail to provide accurate position or even experience a complete outage for more than 15 minutes, causing the tethered positioning error to reach several hundred meters. Because land vehicles are supposed to travel on roads, feedback from a digital map can be used to constrain their position.

The authors used a fuzzy-logic map-matching algorithm to identify the correct road segment on which the vehicle moves. A feedback filter senses a correct map-matched position as well as the road segment as measurement updates to the Kalman filter (KF) of the tethered positioning system. The proposed tight integration of digital maps and a DR system is evaluated using datasets collected by Profound Positioning Inc. in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Results show the proposed method has an average of 0.15% of relative horizontal position error for Calgary datasets — a considerable improvement over the tethered-solution-only with 3.3% of relative horizontal position error. The average azimuth error of the proposed system is 1.3 degrees, while the tethered positioning system shows an average azimuth error of 9.7 degrees.

Citation. Yashar Balazadegan Sarvrood, Haiyu Lan, Aboelmagd Noureldin, Naser El-Sheimy and Profound Positioning Inc., Calgary, Alberta, Canada. “Tight Integration of Digital Map and Tethered Positioning and Navigation Solution for IoT applications and Land Vehicles.”

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5G Signals for Opportunistic Navigation

This paper presents a navigation framework in which 5G signals are used for navigation purposes in an opportunistic fashion. A carrier-aided code-based software-defined receiver (SDR) produces navigation observables from received downlink 5G signals. The SDR produces navigation observables from 5G signals and a navigation filter in which the observables are processed to estimate the user equipment’s position and velocity.

An experiment was conducted on a ground vehicle to assess the navigation performance of 5G signals. In the experiment, the vehicle-mounted receiver navigated using 5G signals from two 5G base stations (also known as gNodeBs, or gNBs) for 1.02 km in 100 seconds. The proposed 5G navigation framework demonstrated a position root-mean-squared error of 14.93 m, while listening to signals from only two gNBs.

Citation. Ali A. Abdallah, Kimia Shamaei and Zaher M. Kassas, “Assessing Real 5G Signals for Opportunistic Navigation.”

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Using Low-Cost Onboard Sensors

For autonomous vehicles, accurate positioning must be ubiquitous — reliably available at all times and in all places in which the vehicle is expected to operate. While GNSS commonly provides the basis for absolute positioning, it suffers from the problem of availability whenever a direct view of enough satellites is not possible. To address this failure mode, additional complementary sensors can be added to the overall navigation solution through a technique known as sensor fusion. Sensors such as inertial measurement units (IMUs), cameras, lidars, radar and more can be selected in such a way that the individual shortcomings of each sensor are mitigated, and the overall robustness and reliability are improved.

Although current autonomous-vehicle applications employ sensor-fusion techniques, they tend to rely on high-performance sensors to meet the accuracy requirements. These high-performance sensors tend to induce a much higher cost burden than would be acceptable for commercial production, and therefore make mass autonomy too expensive.
This paper focuses on using the lower cost sensors already available on most modern vehicles. These include low-resolution odometry and consumer-grade IMUs currently used for dynamic stability control and wheel-slip detection. A novel approach for combining vehicle speed, steering angles, transmission settings and multiple odometry inputs is presented along with achievable results while operating under a GNSS-denied environment. The test trajectory mimics a typical parking structure with many corners and short, straight segments. The only a priori information required for the filter is the wheel track and wheelbase (separation distance of the wheels).

A 90% performance improvement compared to the stand-alone GNSS/INS solution was observed during GNSS outages of up to 30 minutes. Furthermore, up to a 50% improvement was observed when comparing the multi-odometry to the single-odometry outages during the same 30-minute outage condition. Beyond GNSS outage performance, this paper shows how the use of the extra input to the filter can improve the positioning system’s protection levels to allow for more frequent engagement of the autonomous navigation system.

Citation. Ryan Dixon, Michael Bobye, Brett Kruger and Jonathan Jacox, “GNSS/INS Sensor Fusion with On-Board Vehicle Sensors.”

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Radar and INS/GNSS

An autonomous vehicle requires a ubiquitous, accurate, precise and reliable localization system. Many sensors can be used for positioning and navigation, each with its strengths and weaknesses. Inertial measurement units (IMU) are usually used to build inertial navigation systems (INS). INS can be accurate for short durations; however, an INS accumulates errors and loses its accuracy quickly, especially when using low-cost MEMS-based sensors. GNSS can provide an absolute position and velocity to update the INS over time. A barometer provides absolute elevation information, and an odometer provides a speed update.

An integrated navigation solution consisting of an IMU, a GNSS-RTK receiver and odometer can perform well in open-sky areas and on highways. This system can achieve lane-level accuracy most of the time based on the condition of the sensors and the quality of the measurements. However, in downtown and urban environments, the degradation, multipath and blockage of the GNSS signal leads to poor performance for such an integrated navigation system, which is challenged to maintain lane-level positioning.

This paper presents a version of AUTO (formerly known as Coursa Drive), a real-time integrated navigation system that provides an accurate, reliable, high-rate and continuous navigation solution for autonomous vehicles by integrating INS, RTK GNSS, odometer and radar sensors with TomTom’s HD Maps. AUTO performs a tight nonlinear integration of the radar data and maps with the INS/GNSS/odometer system.

Results demonstrate that radar measurements and HD Maps can be tightly integrated with INS/GNSS in an effective manner, such that the integrated system can provide a high-rate, accurate, reliable and robust navigation solution. This is a crucial requirement for realizing a fully autonomous vehicle that can operate in urban environments under a wide range of conditions, including adverse weather and lighting conditions, even in downtown areas with degraded or denied GNSS signals.

Citation. Abdelrahman Ali, Billy Chan, Amr Shebl Ahmed, Medhat Omr, Dylan Krupity, Qingli Wang, Amr Al-Hamad, Jacques Georgy and Christopher Goodall, “Tight Coupling Between Radar and INS/GNSS with AUTO Software for Accurate and Reliable Positioning for Autonomous Vehicles.”

The GNSS Software Defined Radio Metadata Standard document has been published in NAVIGATION: Journal of the Institute of Navigation’s Spring 2021 issue, Volume 68, No. 1, pp. 11-20.

The metadata standard is the product of a three-year long effort of the ION GNSS SDR Standard Working Group and defines parameters and schema to express the contents of SDR sample data files. The standard promotes the interoperability of GNSS SDR data-collection systems and processors.

In the past several years there has been a proliferation of software-defined radio (SDR) data-collection systems and processing platforms designed for or applicable to satellite navigation applications. These systems necessarily produce datasets in a wide range of different formats.

To correctly interpret this SDR data, essential information such as the packed sample format and sampling rate is needed. Communicating this metadata between creators and users has historically been an ad-hoc, cumbersome, and error-prone process.

To address this issue, the satnav SDR community developed the metadata standard and normative software library to automate the process, thus simplifying the exchange of datasets and promoting the interoperability of satnav SDR systems.

The standard was ratified and formally accepted as an Institute of Navigation Standard in January.

The formal standards document export citation is here.

By Ken Eppens
Founder and CEO, OrbitGuardians.com

19% of tracked space objects threaten GPS and other GNSS satellites. While there are much fewer objects in MEO than in LEO, the risk in the former is arguably greater because GPS is so critical to almost all of our technology.

The Risk

GNSS satellites, especially GPS satellites, are critical to the well-being and smooth functioning of economies and national security. This is especially true in Europe and the United States, which do not have complementary terrestrial systems able to provide vital positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) services when signals from space are not available.

While the probability of debris damage to GNSS in medium Earth orbit (MEO) is much less than for satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), the consequences of such an event would be much, much higher. The loss of one satellite would be a concern; that of multiple satellites, a major problem. The unthinkable chaos, national security damage, and severe economic impacts to the $21 trillion U.S. GDP make the risk unacceptable.

For those who think we need not worry about the low probability of collisions at MEO, the Galileo collision avoidance maneuver in March 2021 should be a wakeup call. The problem is here. We need to act now.

Background

Much like a nuclear fission reaction, the problem of space debris starts small then grows exponentially, as each collision creates more pieces that, in turn, can collide with other objects.

The 100 million debris objects orbiting Earth are the result of 6,500 space missions spanning 60+ years and more than 400 debris-generating events. Alarmingly, in the next eight years, this tragic legacy shall be eclipsed as more than 100,000 more satellites (17 times as many as there are now) are slated for launch.

The MEO debris environment is 100 times less dense than the LEO. The spatial density of orbital debris in LEO (up to 2,000 km), shown in Figure 1, suggests that LEO is the likely location where a runaway chain reaction will initiate. This could easily result in a region of space so dangerous that it would effectively deny access to MEO, where the GPS constellation resides.

While the debris situation at MEO is much better, there are still 4,021 tracked debris objects that could impact GPS and other GNSS satellites. Because future orbital debris collisions in LEO will be responsible for more debris in MEO, the situation is guaranteed to get worse. The dead and debris objects in highly elliptical, or Molniya, orbits, shown in Figure 2, could be responsible for such collisions pushing LEO debris into MEO.

Contributions to the general MEO debris population come from launch systems and other factors. Early GPS satellites (Block II/IIA/IIR) used internal orbital-insertion motors to avoid leaving uncontrolled stages in the operational orbit range when moving from transfer orbit to MEO. For survivability reasons, they were also deployed with sufficient fuel to make several major orbital moves. Unfortunately, later versions used separate orbital-insertion stages, which were left drifting in the orbital neighborhood and carried less fuel, resulting in fewer possible maneuvers to avoid collisions.

Using the CelesTrak visualization interface to extract space situational awareness data captured by the Combined Force Space Component Command’s 18th Space Control Squadron (18 SPCS) reveals a much more dire image of MEO. Of the 21,266 total tracked objects in Earth’s orbit, 157 are active GNSS satellites, as shown in Figure 3.

However, a total of 4,021 objects reside or pass through MEO, which are either active (331), dead (668), debris (1,761), rocket bodies (1,100) or unknown (161) objects, as shown in this video.

These 4,021 objects represent 19% of the total number of tracked objects from the 18 SPCS space catalog. While the total 21,266 tracked objects is a far cry from the 100 million objects NASA’s Orbital Debris Program Office represents, one can imagine that a significant portion of untracked debris objects, under 10 cm in size, reside or pass through MEO as well. This is significant, according to NASA, which says that objects with a diameter of 1 cm to 10 cm are the most dangerous due to the lack of tracking data, which essentially makes them invisible.

False Sense of Security

The growing orbital-debris concern is a threat too big to ignore. Unfortunately, to date attempts to manage space traffic have amounted to passive measures, such as establishing policy, characterizing the environment, and creating orbital protection guidelines. Even the highly touted, $6 billion U.S. “Space Fence” is a passive measure that contributes nothing active to solve the problem. Not at all a “fence,” it is merely a way to detect the larger and more dangerous debris.

These efforts may, in all actuality, be counterproductive if they instill a false sense of security in the public and government leaders that the problem is being adequately addressed.

A Proactive Solution

Since 1978, the orbital debris population has been touted as our biggest space problem. It is important to do as much as we can with policies and procedures to keep the problem from getting worse faster. However, even if we humans were to completely resist our seemingly natural impulse to pollute everywhere we go, collisions with existing debris would continue to increase the number of dangerous objects in orbit.

Active debris removal (ADR) is the only solution. The sooner it begins, the safer we will all be. Like the oceans and cyberspace, orbital space suffers from the tragedy of the commons. Everyone wants to use it, but no one owns it. No one is responsible for ensuring it is cared for and maintained. As a result, user behavior is difficult to control, and the environment often suffers. Government action, presumably supporting the best interests of all users, is the default answer.

The proposed Space Debris Act of 2021 is a great start. It paves the way for persistent funding and creates an industry responsible for safeguarding humanity’s orbital infrastructure. It would introduce tax credits to incentivize non-government funding contributions and reduce the price of debris removal, so that satellite operators and the emerging space tourism industry can afford to clean up space where they plan to operate.

The bill is currently being presented by OrbitGuardians to members of Congress for sponsorship. Organizations wishing to support these efforts should contact Ken Eppens at OrbitGuardians at ken@orbitguardians.com.

GPS/GNSS and other critical space assets are at an unacceptable level of risk from debris. It is time to safeguard orbital infrastructure to protect the interests of the United States and humanity’s future in space.

Ken Eppens
Founder & CEO
OrbitGuardians.com

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Feature image: johan63/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

America urgently needs alternatives to GPS and the government must fund efforts to make that happen. So say separate documents sent to President Biden and senior members of Congress earlier this month.

On May 6, the government’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) issued its “Report to the President on Communications Resiliency.” The next day the industry group Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) sent letters to Congress. Both organizations identify the need for alternatives to GPS to support telecommunications and other critical infrastructure. Both also urge government funding for the effort.

NSTAC is a federal advisory committee composed of 18 members from the telecommunications industry. Most are CEOs and very senior leaders in companies such as AT&T, Microsoft, and Iridium.

This month’s NSTAC report highlights the critical role that PNT, especially timing, plays in telecommunications. It notes that widespread use of GPS makes the system vulnerable to a host of threats. To address this, the group recommends the administration consider an approach “similar to that reflected in the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation’s paper entitled “A Resilient National Timing Architecture.” Further, to enhance the ability of commercial entities to afford leveraging this architecture, the Administration should appropriate sufficient funds to lay the foundation for creating this timing architecture, with the Federal Government being the first customer for what will ultimately become a resilient, interconnected network for PNT delivery.”

Federal funding is necessary, according to the board, because free GPS services eliminate market demand for alternatives.

ATIS sent letters to leaders in the House and Senate citing an “urgent need” for funding deployment and adoption of GPS alternatives for use in critical infrastructures, including telecommunications.

ATIS develops standards and other technical deliverables for information and communications technology (ICT) and services companies on a broad range of issues, including 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Network and system synchronization is key for telecommunications. At present this is done almost exclusively using signals from GPS. ATIS had previously documented in reports and letters to Congress the vulnerability of GPS signals and the need for complementary and alternative systems to use when GPS is not available.

The letters outline the criticality of precision timing to critical infrastructure, industries, first responders, and U.S. government entities. They cite applications such as E9-1-1 and Assisted GPS used to find wireless handsets, as well as critical infrastructure networks, as some of the applications at risk.

ATIS also endorsed the findings of a recent Department of Transportation (DOT) report to Congress. That report documented that there exist “suitable, mature and commercially available technologies” able to provide alternatives to GPS.

Also mentioned was the appropriateness of government funding. “The role of government in protecting its citizens suggests an imperative to safeguard the capabilities of critical infrastructure industries by facilitating resilient PNT.”

Some in previous administrations had questioned whether it was necessary and appropriate for the government to fund GPS alternatives. According to NSTAC and ATIS, the answer is “yes” to both.

While the Biden administration has not made any official statements on the matter, reports of conversations with recent appointees seem to indicate that they agree with the need for government funding. There also seems to be bipartisan support for this view.

As one example, Ms. Diana Furchtgott-Roth, a conservative economist who served in the Trump administration as the leader for civil PNT issues, supports government funding wholeheartedly. At a recent webinar she indicated that the national need is beyond the business model of any company. “Just as the government funds national defense, it should also provide a complement to GPS,” she said.

The NSTAC “Report to the President on Communications Resiliency” can be found here.

ATIS letters to members in the House can be found here, and to members in the Senate here.

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Dana A. Goward is President of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation

DDK Positioning solutions use the Iridium satellite constellation to deliver 5-cm GNSS accuracy to industrial users of the internet of things (IoT).

Iridium Communications Inc. has made a strategic investment in DDK Positioning, an Aberdeen, Scotland-based provider of enhanced GNSS accuracy solutions.

DDK uses the Iridium network to provide global precision-positioning services that can augment GNSS constellations, including GPS and Galileo, to significantly enhance their accuracy for critical industrial applications.

DDK is developing similar services for other GNSS constellations, such as GLONASS and Beidou. Terms of the investment are not being disclosed.

Standard positioning accuracy through a system like GPS is typically within 10 meters; however, by using the Iridium network, DDK’s enhanced GPS accuracy service brings incredibly precise positioning of 5 cm or less. This advanced level of accuracy is suitable for autonomous vehicles such as UAVs, precision agriculture applications, offshore infrastructure projects such as wind-farm construction, automotive applications like driverless cars, as well as a host of construction, mining, surveying and IoT use cases.

Historically, there have been limited geostationary satellite provider options for this type of service, but they suffer from line-of-sight blockage issues and coverage limitations in and around Arctic and Antarctic regions.

“We are delighted to have embarked on this journey with such a strong and well-respected company as Iridium,” said Kevin Gaffney, CEO of DDK Positioning. “This partnership is a perfect fit for DDK Positioning. With Iridium’s satellite communications network and our GNSS solution, we are in a position to deliver a truly unique service which is robust, resilient and secure. The investment made by Iridium will also allow us to grow the company even further whilst expanding our service offering globally.”

According to a report published by the European GNSS Agency, augmentation services like those offered by DDK will account for $76.5 billion (€65 billion) in global GNSS market revenue by 2029, while the global GNSS downstream market, including services delivered and hardware devices, is estimated to reach $382 billion (€325 billion).

“We are impressed with the team that DDK has put together and see great potential for this technology and how it takes advantage of the Iridium network,” said Iridium CEO Matt Desch. “DDK’s enhanced positioning is a unique capability that adds a high-value solution on top of our existing portfolio of custom network services. Solutions from Iridium and DDK partners that are focused on precision agriculture, autonomous systems, maritime and infrastructure projects can now experience incredibly precise GNSS accuracy from anywhere on the planet.”

Quectel Wireless Solutions, a global supplier of modules for the internet of things (IoT), has announced the release of two new 5G New Radio (NR) module series, the RG500S and RM500S.

Based on the new Qualcomm 315 5G IoT Modem-RF System, both modules can support customers in building dedicated 5G devices for a variety of verticals including industrial IoT, retail, smart energy, private 5G networks, and many others.

The RG500S and RM500S both integrate a multi-constellation GNSS receiver, which simplifies the product design and provides accurate positioning services for users.

Utilizing the powerful Qualcomm 315 5G IoT modem, the RG500S and RM500S support extended-life software maintenance, helping create long-lasting IoT devices for the duration of their life span. Offering seamless integration, the RM500S is pin-to-pin compatible with Quectel’s LTE Cat 4 module EM05, Cat 6 module EM06, Cat 12 modules EM12-G/EM12xR-GL, Cat 16 module EM160R-GL and 5G module RM500Q, which provides more competitive 5G solutions to the IoT market. These features will help accelerate the 5G IoT market in the industrial and consumer IoT segments with use cases across robotics, automation, intelligent manufacturing, energy distribution, precision agriculture, construction, and mining.

The RG500S and RM500S modules support 5G NR sub-6GHz bands in stand-alone mode offering backward compatibility with LTE networks. With network slicing in stand-alone mode, the two modules are able to offer end-to-end traffic isolation for critical traffic, guaranteed data rates and bandwidth, and lower latency than in non-standalone mode, which meets the demands of ultra-reliability and service-level agreements of typical industrial and enterprise scenarios.

The two modules are embedded with rich interfaces and incorporate high-speed USB 3.0/3.1, PCIe 3.0, U(SIM), RGMII and more, making them suitable for diversified industrial and consumer 5G applications such as industrial routers, robots, automation, intelligent manufacturing, smart cities, energy distribution, precision agriculture, construction and mining.

“Quectel has long been collaborating with Qualcomm Technologies to support the enablement of the 5G market in IoT,” said Patrick Qian, CEO, Quectel. “Based on the latest Qualcomm 315 5G IoT modem, the RG500S and RM500S are able to offer greater possibilities for the industrial and commercial IoT verticals. Features such as high performance and low latency as well as extended life software maintenance address the existing IoT market needs and can power a range of new 5G IoT use cases.”

“The Qualcomm 315 5G IoT modem solution was introduced to stimulate and scale the 5G IoT industry and enable the transitions needed to make 5G for IoT a reality. This solution is pin-to-pin compatible with legacy modules, which can accelerate device development and commercialization and promote growth and expansion in the 5G IoT industry. Integrating Qualcomm Technologies’ purpose-built modem into Quectel’s RG500S and RM500S modules will help deliver 5G to the IoT industry across industrial and enterprise applications,” said Jeffery Torrance, senior vice president, product management, Qualcomm Technologies.